2009-2014 Cadillac CTS-V General Discussion Discussion, Photos of Martin Cadillac of Beverly Hills $700 paint sealant upgrade in Cadillac CTS-V Series Forum - 2009-2014; The correct name of the dealer is &quot;Martin Automotive Group&quot;
I originally started a thread asking for advice regarding damage ...

I am attaching photos of the damage done to my paint by Martin Automotive including paint thickness readings taken by Innovative Detailing . In some areas paint thickness has actually been reduced by 2+ mils or an approx 28% reduction in paint thickness over the thickest readings on a car that is barely one month old.

Assuming General Motors does not step up and help me get a new car, what kind of paint life can I expect with a 2+ mil reduction in paint thickness including visual signs of clear coat failure on the hood, and what if anything can be done to remove deep swirl marks in the dealer installed black chrome as well as in the front head lights and rear tail lights?

WOW. Shows how much damage a rotary buffer can do in the wrong hands. In all honesty I don't think it's GM's issue. I think it's the dealers issue. GM may be able to put some pressure on them but GM did not do the paint sealant. That is a dealer sold product and is not approved by GM. Without seeing it in person it's tough to say whether it can be fixed. Most paint issues can be corrected to a large degree. It may never be perfect. If the car is brand new I'd be pushing the dealer to replace the car but that likely will require legal action.

Mike,
I own a US based manufacturing company with a factory in California. We sell high end audio components to dealers in the US with distribution in 21 countries around the world. Were any of my dealers or distributors to do something like this to one of our customers we would take care of the customer first and I would handle the dealer personally. My brand reputation is too important to allow a dealer who represents our brand to do this kind of damage and then completely ignore the customer. The irony is we purchased this car to showcase new technology we're developing to treat automotive acoustics. It will be bad publicity for GM were we to show at SEMA later this year with the CTS V Coupe in its current condition not to mention the fact I intend to hold on to the car for 20 years. The V is joining my '99 M Coupe as two cars I intend to keep for the rest of my life. That's why I purchased the car brand new as opposed to used.

I don't blame you being really upset, I would too. Have you sent emails and letters to the corporate office of the dealer? That worked for me when I had a similiar problem last summer, they got me a new car and GM got involved and helped out. I'm shocked they are not helping you more, it's just not right. I can't believe the way they slipped the 1000 dollar paint treatment in on you either, something you did not even request or really want. It really sounds like you are going to have to get a lawyer involved if the corporate offices of Martin will not listen to what your saying.

That does look pretty bad. It's amazing how many dealers don't even have the most basic skills in paint care.

When I started buying Griots Garage products, I bought their handbook. Taught me all I needed to know about keeping my car looking good.

My '04 had a couple spots with ghost swirls that I had to correct myself...and gladly did to keep the dealer away.

Hope you get this resolved to your satisfaction...

I purchased $300 worth of Griots stuff, about 3 hours before I bought my V. (I'm lucky though, Griots headquarters is in Tacoma, WA about 20 min south of Seattle!) Best stuff I've ever used and great at educating the customer on how to use their products.

I don't blame you being really upset, I would too. Have you sent emails and letters to the corporate office of the dealer? That worked for me when I had a similiar problem last summer, they got me a new car and GM got involved and helped out. I'm shocked they are not helping you more, it's just not right. I can't believe the way they slipped the 1000 dollar paint treatment in on you either, something you did not even request or really want. It really sounds like you are going to have to get a lawyer involved if the corporate offices of Martin will not listen to what your saying.

I drove out and talked to Martin Automotive's Service Manager on Saturday Feb. 9th where he confirmed the damage and said he would talk with the owner that Monday and get back to me. I have not heard one word from Martin Automotive since. I then contacted GM customer service. The first representative I talked with at GM was helpful and moved my claim up the chain. The second rep (higher up) was likewise helpful. He was filling in for the usual rep who handles my area but was out on vacation (or something like that). We had two long conversations where he explained he was pushing for a new car to replace the car Martin had damaged. However when the rep who handles the area returned she was less than helpful (this is putting it mildly) and basically said if Martin did not want to take care of the issue GM could do nothing to assist me in a resolution and that I would have to pursue, "local options". I then talked to her supervisor who basically mirrored her statement.

I would go to the top @ Martin, that's what you have to do. The Service Manager may have never even mentioned it to them or to the wrong person. Talk with the General Manager and then he can talk with GM about what they are going to do. Thats how it worked in my case. The Sales manager did not want to do anything for me and then he ended in charge of getting the new car for me once ordered to do so by the General Manager.

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Originally Posted by baabootoo

Why a new car over just a new paint job?

Would you want a brand new car that needed to be repainted? In my case it had been repainted already on the hood and fender and I did not want the car, I wanted a new car with a factory paint job.

Like all car manufacturers, Cadillac's biggest Achilles heel is their dealers. Dealers are usually the biggest obstacles to build new car sales. Fancy TV and print marketing can be undone by poor retail representatives. It's a shame, really. I am sure many automakers wish they had the $$$ to go to factory-owned dealerships and ditch the independents.

The detailer feels he can remove the swirl marks however there is very little clear coat left in several areas of the car and the cost for him to perform the work is between $1000 to $1200 depending on how long it takes. Add to this the fact the dealer did not tape up the black chrome prior to taking his dirty wheel to my paint so, the black chrome is ruined and cannot be corrected. The bottom line is with so much paint / clear coat missing the car will need to be repainted far sooner then should be the case for a brand new car. Also down the road when I need to detail my car to maintain a high degree of shine I cannot as again, there is very little clear coat left. Basically moving forward every time I polish my car I may be necessitating a 10k paint job. I did not spend 15k more for a brand new car over used only to worry about what washing, waxing and polishing may do to the paint.

The damage to my car is in the thousands and when the paint goes off (spots on the hood are already showing signs of clear coat failure) I'm looking at a 10k repaint and the loss of my vehicle for a month or more on a car I purchased brand new on 12/29/12!